DOE awarding $7+ million to four hydrogen and fuel cell projects, including fuel cell delivery trucks
17 December 2013
The US Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding more than $7 million to four projects that will help bring cost-effective, advanced hydrogen and fuel cell technologies online faster for both mobile and stationary applications.
Private industry and DOE’s national laboratories have already helped to reduce automotive fuel cell costs by more than 50% since 2006 and by more than 30% since 2008. Fuel cell durability has doubled and the amount of expensive platinum needed in fuel cells has fallen by 80% since 2005. Building on this progress, the new projects will help further reduce the cost of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, expand fueling infrastructure and build a strong domestic supply chain in the United States. These projects include:
Center for Transportation and the Environment ($3 million DOE investment): Based in Atlanta, Ga., the Center for Transportation and the Environment will develop a fuel cell hybrid electric walk-in delivery van with a 150-mile (241 km) range per fueling. The project will also retrofit 15 UPS delivery vans with fuel cell hybrid power trains and test these vehicles at distribution facilities across California. The University of Texas’s Center for Electromechanics, Electric Vehicles International, Hydrogenics USA and Valence Technology will also participate in this project.
FedEx Express ($3 million DOE investment): Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., FedEx Express will develop a hydrogen fuel cell delivery truck with a range of up to 150 miles per fueling and test 20 of these trucks at FedEx facilities in Tennessee and California. Plug Power and Smith Electric Vehicles will join FedEx in this project.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. ($900,000 DOE investment): Located in Allentown, Pa., Air Products and Chemicals partner with Structural Composites Industries will develop a cost-effective tube trailer for hydrogen delivery and storage that can withstand high pressures. Air Products and Chemicals will also test this new technology under real-world operating conditions at hydrogen fueling stations in southern California.
Sprint ($250,000 DOE investment): Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, Sprint will deploy fuel cell-powered backup power systems for rooftop telecommunications equipment. The project will demonstrate modular and lightweight fuel cell systems that can be easily installed without heavy cranes and can be refueled from the ground, overcoming the need for transporting fuel to rooftops. Air Products, Altergy Systems, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Inc., CommScope Inc., First Element Energy LLC, IGX Group, Inc. and ReliOn Inc. will also participate in this project.
Yeah, this is important stuff - we have to cut the pensions of disabled veterans, but keep spending tax dollars on crap like this...brilliant.
Posted by: ejj | 18 December 2013 at 05:40 PM